To Shanshu in LA
by James Locke
Summary: The Shanshu Prophecy states the the vampire with a soul, who prevents the apocalypse and saves humanity, will become human as his reward. Spike and Angel are the candidates for the prophecy but the Powers have a suprise for them.
1. Not Fade Away

Angel ran into the alleyway, sword in hand, looking around as the rain poured down. He looked around trying to see if anyone was here. He was aching all over, his fight with Hamilton still taking a toll.

"Boo!" said a British voice from the shadows. It was Spike. He was cut up, bloody, and weaponless but he was alive, for the moment.

"Anyone else?" asked Angel.

"Not so far," answered Spike. He looked down the alley and swallowed nervously. "You feel the heat?"

"It's coming." Angel said simply. They both knew what "it" was. It was the army of Hell.

"Finally got ourselves a decent brawl." said Spike. Angel was about to answer when another voice was heard from down the alleyway.

"Damn," it said. "How did I know the fang boys would pull through?" Gunn kept running but he started to falter. He was weak, Angel could tell but he was still kicking. "You're lucky we're on the same side dogs' cause I was on fire tonight." Angel and Spike helped him sit down on a box. Spike looks at Gunn's wounds. He had a huge cut in his stomach and Angel was pretty sure he stomach had been cut open. More notice, however, was given to a low rumbling that was growing steadily louder.

"You're supposed to wear that red stuff on the inside Charlie boy." said Spike.

Gunn pressed a hand to his side and when he pulled it away it was bright red. "Any word on Wes?" he asked. He was answered by the arrival of another of the group. Illyria jumped down off of a fence behind Angel.

"Wesley's dead." she said. The mere words made Gunn cry and Spike and Angel hang their heads. Wes had been with Angel since the beginning and his death was going to way heavily. "I'm feeling grief for him, I can't seem to control it" she went on. "I wish to do more violence." The noise that had been growing since Gunn's arrival was making itself more known and Angel could just make out movement on the horizon

"Well wishes happen to be horses today," said Spike looking down the alleyway.

"Among other things," said Angel.

An army of demons was closing in on them. Demons of all shapes, sizes, and sorts were bearing down with one thought in mind. Kill them.

"OK," said Gunn standing up, raising his axe with increasing difficulty. "You take the 30,000 on the left."

"You're fading," said Illyria. "You'll last ten minutes at best."

"Then let's make 'em memorable." He answered.

Angel stood there and time seemed to stand still. Ever since 1898 he had been trying to seek redemption for his acts as Angelus, he didn't believe it was possible until, Wesley had shown him the Shanshu Prophecy. It said that the vampire with a soul would shanshu if he prevented the coming apocalypse. He thought that that apocalypse was the incident with Jasmine and when he found it wasn't he stopped believing. This was it though he realized. Everything that he had done was to prepare him for this fight. He, another vampire, a human, and an Old One were against an army of demons sent by the senior partners of Wolfram& Hart to punish Angel. But even despite of the overwhelming odds he smiled.

"Any thoughts in terms of a plan?" asked Spike as the demons drew nearer.

"We fight," said Angel, standing in front of all of them ready for the hammer stroke. A dragon flew overhead and roared. The demons in front were human sized with some nasty looking insect like things with them. To the back there three huge troll like monsters and Angel saw the outline of one as big as the Hyperion.

"Bit more specific?" asked Spike.

"Well personally," said Angel. "I kinda want to slay the dragon." The demon horde screamed and ran forward, weapons swinging. "Let's go to work." Angel swung his sword and slashed the first demon down. He swung his sword like a baseball bat, killing two more. By then he was surrounded by demons, slashing away at any part of his they could reach. The steel of their weapons dug into his skin. They were landing blow upon blow on him and for everyone he killed at least three took its place.

Spike wasn't faring much better. He didn't have a weapon but his hand to hand was nearly unmatched. He was vamped out and stronger than any of the demons attacking him but the sheer numbers were making it hard to fight any enemy at one time. He was already bloodied by his fight with the Fell Brethren but the claws and horns of the attacking demons were turning him redder by the minute.

Gunn who was already half dead was having the worst time. It was hard for him to use his axe to its full potential but the street kid wasn't going down without a fight. The demons hitting him were large, nine and ten feet tall with huge steel weapons and enough strength to punch through a concrete wall. Gunn swung at their legs and chest and managed to fell three of them before they literally jumped on him. All Angel saw was a flash of steel and a monster head rolling before hearing Gunn's last scream.

Illyria was defending herself easily. Her power as an Old One was fading but she still had strength that only Hamilton could overcome. Her punches and kicks sent the demons flying into the walls around them but, like the others, the numbers were too overwhelming and soon she was backed against the fence, screaming with rage and pain until finally her head was taken off and the demons now brought down the full force of their strength on Angel and Spike.

The two soul full vamps were back to back kicking and slashing at demons. They were both cut up and blood was flowing out of them as heavy as the rain. The demons had finally realized what they were and were now thrusting at them with wooden pikes. The first few pikes were knocked away until finally one was thrust through Spike's heart and he exploded in a ball of dust.

"SPIKE!" yelled Angel. Angel vamped and began clawing and biting at anything he could get his hands on. He lunged at one demon but the demon raised his weapon, a wooden stake, and Angel impaled himself on it. He saw the world grow red, then purple and finally black.

Angel thought it was the end, he thought that for sure he was heading to Hell, Spike along with him, but when he opened his eyes he found himself in a place he hadn't been for years.

"So it is true sister," said a voice. "He did sign away his Shanshu."

"And the other?" a female voice said.

"He gave up his destiny."

Angel looked to his side and saw Spike, looking as bewildered as he was.

"The Oracles." whispered Angel.


	2. Prophecy Boys

"The Oracle's." wispered Angel.

"The who?" said Spike. The blond headed vamp was as bewildered as anyone.

"We are the Oracles lower being," said the male. "Do not speak so lightly in our presence."

"You were killed," said Angel walking forward. "Voca killed you four years ago."

"One's like us are not killed lower being," the male said again. "We are merely displaced from this plane."

"Can you two acknowledge my presence and tell me what the bloody hell is going on!" cut in Spike his voice rising in anger. The male turned his head towards Spike and stared the vampire down.

"Be patient lower being," he said calmly. "All will soon be made clear."

"Hey," said Spike. "If anyone's a lower being here it's the Great Poof." he said jabbing a thumb an Angel. "And watch who you're calling a lowering being you gold tinted Smurf."

The man glared at Spike but then turned to the souled vamps and spoke. "You two are no doubt farmiliar with the Scrolls of Aberjian..." Spike cut in again.

"The what of what?" Spike snapped.

"The Shanshu Prophecy," wispered Angel.

"Oh," said Spike a bit taken back. "Why didn't you just say that then!" he yelled.

The male ignored Spike's outburst and continued. "The prophecy states that the vampire with a soul will prevent the coming apocalypse and shanshu."

"Yeah yeah yeah," said Spike. "We know that part already. Now when do I get my reward?"

"Your reward?" shot Angel. "We both died here you know."

"Oh what?" said Spike mockingly. "You think that because you were the original Shanshu vamp that I don't get a reward? I saved the bloody world!"

"You stood there and wore and amulet the looked like something Liz Taylor would wear! And I even gave it to you!"

"I got that from Buffy you nancy!"

"I gave it to Buffy you bleached prick!"

"Yeah well you managed to stick your tounge down her throat!"

"There weren't any tounges!"

"Oh where have I heard that before!"

"ENOUGH!" the Oracle roared. "I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOUR PETTY ARGUMENTS LOWER BEINGS!"

"You know Smurfy-" started Spike.

"You both have fulfilled the prophecy" he said cutting Spike off.

"What?" they both said at the same time.

"I signed it away!" said Angel.

"And I gave it up." said Spike.

"Yet you both gave your live's to protect humanity."

"Therefore," said the female, finally speaking. "You both become human."

Before Spike or Angel could say anything there was a flash of light and the two souled vamps were flung out of the room... back into the alley way next to Hyperion.

"Spike?" said Angel.

"Yeah."

"Did we just...?"

"I think so."

The alleyway was bare, dry and the residue from the battle was gone. It was also shoruded in shadow. The two men walked towards the rays of sunlight, that they both were still sure meant instant death.

"Do you think," said Spike, walking up to the border between shadow and sun. "That... AARRGGHH!" Angel shoved Spike out into the sunlight. Spike hit the dirt and began screaming and tearing at his skin but then suddenely stopped.

"I'm... I'm not burning..." he stammered. "I'M A BLOODY HUMAN!"

Angel stuck his hand forward and expected the skin to start burning but, just as with Spike, nothing was happening. Angel stretched his hand out farther and farther until he too was standing in the once murderous sunlight.

"Spike..." said Angel, tears of joy appearing in his eyes. "We did it!"

"We beat them! We're human!" cried Spike and the two men hugged eachother. After about three seconds they realized what they were doing they pushed each other away.

"Let's agree that, that never happened." said Angel.

"Right."

"So what do we do now?" asked Angel. He looked around but Spike was nowhere to be found. "SPIKE!" he yelled. "SPIKE!" 


	3. Day One

"SPIKE!" yelled Angel. "God," he muttered. "I turn my back for one second and he's..." Angel turned and saw a taxi driving away with a passenger, who had a head of blonde hair. "Already making a run for it!" Angel hailed a cab and when one pulled up he hopped in.

"Follow that cab!" he said, pointing to the one with Spike in it. Soon afterwards however Spike turned around and saw Angel in the cab behind him. He said something that, to Angel who read his lips, was to the affect of "I'm never going to get rid of the Great Poof am I?" Spike's cab soon stopped and Angel's did too. Luckily Angel had some money on him and so did Spike. They paid their cabbies and faced each other on the sidewalk.

"What're you doing?" asked Angel like he was lecturing a child.

"Who are you my bloody father?" shot back Spike. Angel just looked at him. "Ah… well yeah I guess you are in a sense..."

"Spike," said Angel. "You don't get it. We have to stick together."

"Why? We're finally free of being bloodsucking demons but you still want us to play chums. Bugger that!" shot Spike and he started to walk off but Angel grabbed him and spun him around.

"Where are you going to go Spike?" asked Angel. "You've got no money and no plan. If you want to go and have your reward turn into a burden then go. Or you can stick with me and make something of your life."

"Fine," said Spike turning around. "I'll go with you. But the moment I can I'm gone."

"Good," said Angel. He looked at Spike. "You getting hungry?"

Soon Spike and Angel were seated in a restaurant in uptown LA.

"Bloody hell," muttered Spike, staring at his menu. "Look at all this stuff. Spaghetti, chicken tenders… it's amazing."

"Get the chicken tenders with an order of fries," said Angel. "Connor said they were delicious."

At the mention of Angel's son Spike looked up. "Are you gonna tell him?" asked Spike. "You gonna tell him we wasted the Big Bads of Wolfram& Hart and are now red blooded humans?"

"I don't know Spike," said Angel setting down his menu. "I mean he had a good life ahead of him and I don't want to interfere."

"I understand," said Spike as the waitress came.

"Can I take your order sir?" she said eyeing Spike.

"You sure can doll," he said. "What time do you.. OOFF!" Angel had kicked him under the table. "Yeah I'll have the chicken tenders, five piece."

"I'll have the spaghetti," said Angel. "And some chicken tenders."

"Yeah," said Spike. "Give me some spaghetti too…"

"I'll have an order of roast beef too." said Angel.

"Me too." Responded Spike as the waitress wrote frantically. "And an order of…" Soon the duo had ordered half the menu and every drink. Twenty minutes later their feast came. Spike and Angel looked at each other, nodded, and dug in. Spike grabbed a handful of shrimp and shoved them into his mouth.

"Oh my God…" he said with his mouth full and his eyes wide. "Food! I've forgotten how good it tastes."

"Oh let me try some." said Angel grabbing some while Spike was shoveling spaghetti into his mouth.

Spike picked up a bottle of Miller Light and raised it. "To life!" he said. Angel picked up his own bottle and they clinked bottles and each took a swig. There eyes lit up at how sweet the beer tasted.

"I love being alive!" they both shouted at the same time and then continued their feast. After an hour of stuffing their faces the two were stuffed and a little queasy.

"That was…burp…good." said Spike.

"It tastes so full, so real." said Angel.

"Tastes so much better when you're alive."

"Wow," said the waitress upon her return. "You two were really hunry."

"Felt like a hundred years since we ate real food." Said Angel and both he and Spike burst out laughing.

"Here's your bill then," she said, placing it down. "Have a good day."

Angel picked it up and looked at the total. "Wow," he said. "Three hundred and forty-two dollars and seventy-eight cents."

"That's a bit much," said Spike. "I remember when a few pounds got you a three course meal a bottle and then the change could get you a nice whore afterwards."

"Does everything with you have to involve sex?" said Angel but then he held up a hand. "Don't answer that." Angel pulled out his wallet and produced four one-hundred dollar bills and the two walked to the register.

"Where do you get all that money anyway?" asked Spike as the walked down the streets of LA.

"Come on Spike," he said. "I was the CEO of Wolfram& Hart. I have a savings account opened with a balance of nearly a million dollars so the money situations good."

"Okay so were two rich and handsome devils in the City of Angels wearing clothes that smell like death? I say we get some new threads."

"So be it," said Angel. "We've still got a few hours till the sun goes down. Let's go."

A few minutes later Spike and Angel were in a men's clothing store. They were across from each other in separate dressing rooms. Angel dressed with his new ensemble first. He was wearing a checkered blue button up shirt with a pair of blue jeans and black boots. He stepped out and stared in a mirror. He stopped for a second at the mirror and saw himself staring back at him. He placed his hand on the mirror and touched it.

"You know mate," said Spike from behind him. "If you and the mirror need to be alone…"

"It's weird," Angel said. "For two hundred and fifty years I've looked into mirrors and seen nothing but now I see myself. It's amazing."

"You do look nice," said Spike. "The blue looks good on you."

"What're you wearing?" asked Angel as he turned around to see Spike in black pants and boots, a red button up shirt, a black tee-shirt under it with his leather duster draped over it all. "You can buy anything in the store and you choose the same stuff you wore for the last what thirty years?"

"Yeah," said Spike observing his clothes. "You're point?"

"Never mind."

Angel and Spike walked out of the door both carrying bags of clothing. Angel's had a few pairs of jeans and several button up shirts and a few tee shirts all with a variety of colors. Spikes had black pants black tee shirts and two red button up shirts.

"Really original Spike." said Angel.

"What?" he said. "You upset because I'm not turning into a freakin' rainbow?"

Angel ignored him and kept walking, Spike followed and soon the pair were standing in front of the Hyperion.

"What's this place?" asked Spike.

"It was home…" said Angel. "For so long."

"The Hyperion Hotel…"


	4. Where Do We Go From Here?

Spike and Angel walked forward and entered the hotel. It was just like Angel had left it. The furniture was covered with sheets but the desks and everything was where he had left it.

"So this was the HQ of the mighty Angel Investigations?" said Spike walking over to the desk and idly opening drawers. He pulled out one of the business cards. "Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless. Cute." he said. "What's that drawing though? It looks like a butterfly crossed with a lobster with a growth or something."

"It's supposed to be an angel," said Angel. "Cordy drew it."

"Oh an angel," said Spike putting it down. "That's clever on so many levels. Say what are we doing here?"

"I thought we'd stay here tonight. 68 rooms so we don't have to share a bed or anything like that."

Spike pulled out an old rooms list and started flipping through the pages. Angel, not noticing him, started to say. "My room was number 3-1..."

"Dibs on room 312!" he shouted and tore up the stairs. Angel growled and chased after him.By the time he reached his room he found Spike sitting on the bed, testing the comfiness. "I like it," he said. "Pretty comfy, plus the kitchen and private bathroom."

"Spike," said Angel. "Out now. You can have any other room in the hotel except this one."

Spike sighed and left. He end up a floor up in Lorne's old room. The two setteled in and met up again in the lobby. The sun was setting.

"So what do we do now?" asked Spike. "Wanna go out, get pissed?"

"Being back in this place for an our or so? Remembering everyone who died..."

"I understand," the blonde ex-vamp said. "We'll talk in the morn-"

"God yes," said Angel and the two were out the door.

The City of Angels was farmiliar to Angel and Spike at night but they weren't her to stop any evil, slay any demon or rescue any women, they were here to party. They went to several different night clubs and bars until they were both rolling drunk. They sat down in a bar with a pitchers of Coors Lite and started reminissening about their old vampire days.

"I'll tell you Spike," said Angel. "The thing I miss most about Sunnydale hiccup was seeing Buffy kick the crap outta you."

"Hey at least she never ran me through with a sword." Spike said, draining his ninth glass.

"God," muttered Angel. "What would Buffy say if she could see us now?"

"Ah Buffy," said Spike. "She was one Hell of a woman." He raised his glass. "To Buffy."

"To Buffy." said Angel and clinked their glasses.

They downed the liquid and spent the rest of the evening wandering around the city. At 2:00 they make their way back to the Hyperion. They stumble in the doorway and collapse on the couch next to eachother.

"Spike," said Angel. "Where do we go from here? I mean the battle's done and we kinda won so do we sound our victory cheer?"

"Start singing and I will kick your ass." said Spike.

"What?" said Angel.

"I'll explain later." Spike got up. "For now though I'm going to bed. Night." Spike turned and walked up the stairs to bed.

Angel stayed down for a little while until he too went up to bed. He discarded his clothes and fell in bed wearing only some shorts. Before he slept he thought to himself.

'It's a good question though, where do we go from here?"


	5. The Slayer in Question

A young woman stepped off of a plane at The Los Angeles International Airport. She calmly walked out of the terminal and hailed a taxi. One pulled up and she stepped in.

"Where to?" asked the cabbie as she took her seat. The woman took out a flyer and handed it to him. "Angel Investigations?" he asked. "Ma'am Angel Investigations closed down a year and a half ago."

"Yes, I know. I still want to go to the building."

"It's a long drive." The cabbie said.

"I've got the money."

Angel got up and felt tired. That had never happened to him as a vampire. He got out of bed, with some difficulty, and got dressed. He pulled on a pair of black jeans and a red button down shirt. He laced up his boots and went to the bathroom. He relieved himself, shaved and brushed his teeth. He made sure Spike wasn't looking and looked at his reflection again. He tried to vamp out his face but it didn't work, his scowl just turned even more scowly. He smiled and walked downstairs. He scribbled a note to Spike, in case he cared where he went, and walked out into the blinding sunlight. He spread his arms and drank it in before starting down the road.

Spike woke up about a half hour after Angel. He dressed in his normal clothing but left the jacket for now. He didn't gel his hair either, no need yet he thought. He walked down the stairs and was looking over the hotel. He tried to imagine all that had happened here. The Scoobies had heard all about everything from Willow, and Spike, as much as he didn't want to admit it, was impressed by the Great Poof. Rescuing girls from a hell dimension, having a son, losing his son to an old enemy, being locked away at the bottom of the ocean for the summer, beating back one of the old powers and being in charge of Wolfram& Hart. It made his little "pillar of fire" act seem not as great as he supposed.

Angel was walking down the street, back to the hotel, laden with groceries and was waiting for the lights to change colors. Once the lights glowed green Angel hurried across the intersection. As he walked across the street a taxi cab pulled up right at the spot he was standing at. Angel looked down into his bag and swore.

"Damnit!" he said turning around. "I forgot the ice cream!" He looked up and saw a blonde haired woman getting out of a taxi.

"Oh my God." he said to himself. "Buffy." He promptly dropped what he was carrying and his mouth dropped open. He suddenly realized that standing here gawking would be the wrong way for Buffy to see him. Just as he turned to head back Buffy looked up and there eyes locked for a single second before Angel turned and started running back to the hotel.

Buffy was looking across the street at the man who dropped his groceries.

'Man, he looks like Angel.' She thought. She watched him run until he was around the corner. 'Moves like him too.' She shrugged and started walking down the same road, towards the Hyperion.

Moments after Spike woke up Angel cam bursting into the hotel.

"What's with the marathon man?" asked Spike coming down the stairs. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"Close." panted Angel. "Buffy." Spike's eyes went wide.

"Buffy's here!" he looked around nervously. "I need to gel my hair."

"Buffy's in L.A. and all you can think about is your hair?"

"Well what are you thinking about? Last time I checked when you got fleshy with her you went evil."

"And the last time she checked you'd go up like a matchstick if I did this!" he pushed Spike into the sunlight.

"Stop pushing me around Angel!" yelled Spike as he launched himself at his comrade. Angel took the blow in the chest and the two were on the floor, rolling on top of each other. They finally stopped when a voice rang out.

"Well this isn't exactly how I expected to find you two." said Buffy arms crossed looking at the two men. "Wait, yes it is."

Angel looked up at Spike, pushed him up and stood in front of Buffy he was still in the shadows with Spike right next to him. "How did you know we were here?" he asked.

"Giles heard about what happened with Wolfram& Hart. I came to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine." They both said at the same time. They looked at each other. "She was asking about me!" They both said again. "No she wasn't!" again at the same time.

"I came to check on both of you." She said. "I've noticed you haven't changed a bit though." At this Spike and Angel exchanged glances.

"Actually Buffy," said Angel. "A lot's changed; for both of us." Buffy gave him a confused look so, to clarify everything so Angel and Spike took a step forward and walked into the sun.

"OK." said Buffy. "Why are you two not going up in flames?"

"We Shanshued," said Angel. "There's a prophecy about a vampire with a soul. If he plays a major role in the apocalypse he will shanshu, become human."

"It's our reward." said Spike. "Now we can walk in the sun, holy water only makes us wet, crosses are nothing and stakes aren't a problem."

"Actually Spike," said Angel. "If I stabbed you in the heart with a wodden stake you'd still die."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" said Buffy. "You two are red blood humans because you got sand in your shoes?"

Angel sighed. "Let's go inside and discuss this over breakfast. I'm starving. Seems like a century since I ate."


End file.
